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'Fair contest in the air, it shouldn’t have been a penalty'
England age-grade boss Mark Mapletoft was left unhappy that his U20s were dramatically held to a 32-all draw by Ireland at The Rec on Friday night. The English looked to have won it late on, Ben Waghorn seeing his 77th-minute try brilliantly converted from the touchline by Sean Kerr for a seven-point advantage.
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However, there was still one final twist, Ireland hitting back to score through Luke Murphy with 82:13 on the clock and Sean Naughton’s conversion left a nine-try thriller deadlocked at the finish.
What grated with Mapletoft was the penalty in the air awarded by referee Reuben Keane against Finn Carnduff, which handed the Irish a lifeline that not only had consequences on the result in Bath but it also left the age-grade title race delicately poised.
England are still on top of the table by a point from Ireland but they have the way tougher closing round fixture in having to visit France in Pau next Friday while the Irish host bottom side Scotland in Cork.
After the 12,627 attendance had headed off in the Bath night, Mapletoft convened pitchside with RugbyPass and he quickly ran through his emotion following a gripping game that was a fantastic advert for the entertainment that international rugby at U20s provides.
“Roller coaster of emotions,” he began. “More so for the lads than a lot of us who are older and have been around the block for a little while. Started well, then were poor for far too long, particularly in that first half. Great resilience second half but we kept bringing them back into the game.
“To then go seven up with the best part of two minutes to go, one play effectively: Look, I’m not one for commenting on how difficult decisions are in the heat of the moment but there was absolutely nothing wrong with the contest in the air.
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“Finn goes up, video evidence is clear and obvious. I don’t need to go on about it. And ultimately you have got a dressing room full of gutted players and a dressing room full of semi-delighted players who managed to get out of jail.
“Quite fundamentally it was a fair contest in the air and it shouldn’t have been a penalty. Those things sometimes go for you and sometimes don’t, but proud of the players in terms of how they stuck at it in the second half when we probably hadn’t really hit our straps.”
It was the second time in succession that an England-Ireland U20s fixture had finished in a high-scoring draw as nine months ago they ended tied at 34-all in Paarl at the World Junior Championship
“Richie (Murphy, the Ireland coach) and I were talking about it at the end. You couldn’t write it given how close it was in the World Cup. We were knocking on their line back in June and weren’t able to get over and they were able to this time.
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“The biggest lesson we will take from it is we started really fast and then did we think this is going to be like the other games? We should know better than that. Ireland are a class outfit. They went to France and won the first game up. Teams that do that are good sides. That will be a big lesson for us and we will be stronger for it.
“I thought Sean (Kerr) did well, if nothing other than clutch kick from the sidelines to put seven in because ultimately that was the difference between drawing and losing the game. We have worked through a lot of adversity in the four games. Players pulling out, not necessarily getting the combination of players we want.
"Fair contest in the air, shouldn't have been a penalty…"
– The Mark Mapletoft hot take after his England U20s were dramatically held to a gripping 32-all Six Nations draw with Ireland, from Liam Heagney ?? at The Rec #U6N20 #EnglandRugby #IrelandRugby #ENGvIRE #rugby pic.twitter.com/foEVj9GgdZ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 8, 2024
“But unbelievable credit, the bench made a big impact coming on which is what you want. You want to make sure you get the most out of them and they get the most out of themselves. We’re all disappointed about results but this is a development programme and I am sure the lads will learn massively from this.
“We have got to get straight back on it. We have got a great challenge out in France. I’d imagine most of their players will be up from the Top 14. We have got to dust ourselves down. Some guys who put in good performances have got to build on that, and guys who perhaps were a little bit below where they would like to have been.
“That’s the whole challenge, being able to go week to week in these tournaments. It’s going to be a much tighter turnaround in the World Cup. We need to make sure we get our recovery, our preparation right and get over to Pau and do our best.”
Set to spend his Saturday evening at Twickenham watching England host Ireland in the Guinness Six Nations, Mapletoft signed off referencing his delight with the recent growth in the popularity of the U20s.
He added that the presence of Chandler Cunningham-South in the Test match day 23 just months after playing age-grade was evidence that it’s not a million miles away from the first-team scene.
“Incredible really. Coming off covid where there was a lull for two or three years, the media guys, certainly at our end, have done an unbelievable of promoting the programme. I always read News Now picking up on press stuff in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. They recognise it has to be the breeding ground for the next group of players.
“From our perspective seeing Chandler push up so quickly, the lads realise it’s pretty close – if they can play well they can push themselves in that first team. Even Chandler probably hasn’t played regularly for Harlequins but it shows it’s not a million miles away for them.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Huge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
215 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
8 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
37 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
15 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
37 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
3 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
215 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
215 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
37 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
37 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
215 Go to comments